Dual purpose recreational vehicle

ABSTRACT

A dual purpose recreational vehicle having a coach for use as a living quarters and a carrier for motor driven cycles and the like. The coach has an interior floor with an access opening to a cycle storage well below the floor, and removable panel means, such as hinged floor panels, which normally close the access opening to provide a floor surface across the storage well and may be raised to permit placement of one or more cycles in upright travel positions in the well. The well contains channels for receiving the cycle wheels and supporting the floor panels when in closed position within the access opening. The coach has a rear door opening and a removable step usable as a ramp for moving cycles into and from the coach through the door opening.

[ 11 3,73%,558 51 May 22,1973

[54] DUAL PURPOSE RECREATIONAL VEHECLE Primary Examiner-Philip GoodmanAttorney-Donald R. Nyhagen T C A R T S B A W 5 l m n 6 M m2 0 9 f 3h 83C d aa c wn Sw m B W w uh h RH o t n e V n I Q l [22] Filed, June 211971 A dual purpose recreational vehicle having a coach for use as aliving quarters and a carrier for motor driven cycles and the like. Thecoach has an interior floor with an access 0 [21] Appl. No.: 154,831

pening to a cycle storage well below the floor, and removable panelmeans, such as hinged floor panels, which normally close the accessprovide a floor surface across the storage be raised to permit placementof one or more cycles in upright travel positions in the well. The wellcontains channels for receiving the cycle wheels and supporting thefloor panels when in closed position within the access opening. Thecoach has a rear door opening and a removable step usable as a ramp formoving cycles into and from the coach through the door opening.

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DUAL PURPOSE RECREATIONAL VEHICLE BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Fieldof the Invention This invention relates generally to recreationalvehicles and more particularly to a novel dual purpose recreationalvehicle adapted for use as both a living quarters and a carrier formotor driven cycles and the like.

2. Discussion of the Prior Art Trips with travel trailers, campers, andvans equipped with living quarters have long been a very popular form ofrecreation. A more recent form of recreation which is gaining inpopularity is riding motor driven cycles. An ever increasing number ofpersons are combining these two forms of recreations by taking motordriven cycles on their camper and trailer trips for use at their variousstops and campsites.

This combined form of recreation presents one problem with which thepresent invention is concerned. The problem referred to involvestransportation of the motor driven cycles on the recreational vehicles.Thus, at the present time, many recreational vehicles, particularlycampers and trailers, are equipped with a rear step or the like havingmeans for anchoring a cycle in travel position on the step. Thisarrangement has several disadvantages. For example, the cycle is exposedto the elements, road dust, flying stones and the like in transit.Moreover, if the vehicle is left unattended, the cycle is prone to theftor vandalism. In most cases, only a single cycle may be carried which isa distinct disadvantage when there is more than one cycle rider, as isthe usual situation.

A variety of cargo vehicles have been devised, of course, fortransporting other vehicles. Examples of such cargo vehicles are shownin the following U.S. Pat. Nos. 1,282,764; 1,750,128; 2,022,376;2,432,228; 2,492,980; 2,595,533; 3,099,230; 3,193,821; 3,219,152 and3,448,875.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION The present invention provides a novel dualpurpose recreational vehicle which avoids the above problems byproviding for the storage of several motor driven cycles within thevehicle. To this end, the recreational vehicle has a coach containingliving quarters complete with furniture and the other living facilitiescommonly found in such vehicles. The furniture is arranged to provide acentral clear floor area. Beneath the interior coach floor is asub-floor and braces providing a cycle storage well below the centralfloor area. This floor area contains an access opening to the storagewell which is normally closed by removable interior floor panel means,such as hinged floor panels. When closed, these floor panels provide afloor surface across the well, flush with the surface of the surroundinginterior floor.

Within the storage well are means for locating one or more cycles inupright travel positions in the well. In the particular inventiveembodiment illustrated, for example, the well contains a number ofchannels arranged side by side for receiving the wheels of a number ofcycles and means for anchoring the cycles in upright positions. Thesechannels are laterally adjustable to change their location laterally ofthe vehicle and to vary the spacing between channels. The channelssupport the floor panels when in closed position. When in open position,the floor panels stand generally upright against the furniture at thesides of the well to shield the furniture against being soiled anddamaged by the cycles, particularly when placing the cycles in andremov' ing them from the well.

The cycles are moved into and from the coach through a door opening inthe rear end of the coach. Preferably, this door opening extendsvirtually the full width of the coach and is closed by double doors tofacilitate passage of cycles through the opening. According to a featureof the invention, the vehicle is equipped with a rear step which may beremoved and placed in an inclined position to serve as a ramp forwheeling cycles into and from the coach.

The invention is disclosed in connection with a travel trailer. However,it will be readily evident from the ensuing description that theinvention may be embodied in other types of recreational vehicles.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS FIG. 1 is a fragmentary perspectiveview of a dual purpose recreational vehicle according to the invention;

FIG. 2 is a horizontal section through the vehicle;

FIG. 3 is a fragmentary vertical section through the vehicle; and

FIG. 4 is a section taken on line 4-4 in FIG. 3.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT The dual purpose recreationalvehicle 10 of the invention selected for illustration in the drawings isa travel trailer. Except for the present improvements which adapt thetrailer to serve as a carrier for motor driven cycles and the like, thetrailer is essentially conventional and hence need not be described inelaborate detail. Suffice it to say that the trailer has a coach 12mounted on a frame 14 with ground wheels 16 and a front hitch tongue forconnection to a towing vehicle. The coach provides interior livingquarters 20 including furniture 22 and the other living facilitiescommonly found in such trailers. Access to and egress from the livingquarters is through a door opening 24 at the rear of the coach.According to a feature of the invention and for reasons which willappear presently, the door opening 24 extends substantially the fullwidth of the coach and is closed by double doors 26. These doors arehinged along their outer edges to the door frame, such that the doorsmay be opened in the manner shown to permit use of the entire dooropening.

Coach 12 has an interior floor 28. Furniture 22 is arranged in such away as to provide the floor with a clear central floor area 30. Belowthe interior floor 28 is a sub-floor 32 on which the interior floor issupported by joists 34. Sub-floor 32 and joists 34 form a cycle storagewell 36 below the central floor area 30 and bounded along its sides byjoists. This central floor area has an access opening 38 to the storagewell closed by removable closure means 40 which form part of theinterior floor 28. The particular removable closure means illustratedcomprise a pair of floor panels 42 which are hinged along their outerlongitudinal edges to the longitudinal edges of the access opening 38for swinging of the panels between their illustrated open and closedpositions. When in open position, the floor panels 42 are disposed ingenerally upright positions against the furniture 22 at opposite sidesof the access opening 38.

Storage well 36 is adapted to receive a number of motor driven cycles 44(only one shown) side by side in the positions shown. Means 46 areprovided for loeating or retaining the cycles in their upright storagepositions. The illustrated cycle retaining means comprise bars 48 in thewell forming channels 49 for receiving the cycle wheels and anadjustable cross bar 50 which is attached to the open floor panels 42and to which the cycles are tied. The bars 48 may be permanently fixedin position in the well. According to a preferred feature of theinvention, however, the bars are laterally adjustable to accommodatecycles of various sizes. To this end, the ends of the bars fit removablywithin slots 52 in blocks 54 along the front and rear edges of the well36. A unique feature of the invention resides in the fact that the floorpanels 42, when in their upright open positions, protect the furniturealong the sides of the storage well against being soiled or damaged bythe cycles. The coach floor 28 including the floor panels may becarpeted to prevent the panels from marring the furniture when open. Thepanels may have finger holes or other means to permit them to be easilyopened.

As noted earlier, the coach 12 has a larger rear door opening 24 anddouble doors 26. This large door opening is provided to facilitatepassage of the cycles 44 into and from the coach. In most cases, a rampmust be provided to permit wheeling of cycles from ground level up tothe coach floor 28 and from the floor down to ground level. Any suitableramp may be used for this purpose. According to a further feature of theinvention, however, the vehicle is equipped with a rear combinationbumper and step 56 which may be removed and used as a ramp. To this end,the step comprises a channel 58 or the like with arms 60 which fitremovably within sockets 62 attached to the rear of the vehicle frame14. The arms may be releasably secured in the sockets in any convenientway, as by removable cross pins. Channel 56 has flanges 62 at its endswhich may be engaged in brackets 64 on the rear of the coach to retainthe channel in position when used as a ramp. These brackets may beplaced as shown to permit lateral adjustment of the ramp for convenienceof movement of cycles into and from the storage well channels 49.

It will now be understood that when the floor panels 42 are closed tocover the cycle storage well 36, the recreational vehicle 10 may be usedas living quarters in the same manner as any conventional trailer. Whentraveling from place to place, the vehicle may be used as a cyclecarrier by anchoring cycles 44 in the well in the manner described. Ifdesired, the rear step-ramp 56 may be equipped with means for holding anadditional cycle.

What is claimed as new in support of Letters Patent 11. A dual purposerecreational vehicle for use as a living quarters and a carrier formotor driven cycles and the like, comprising:

a coach having an interior floor with an exposed area and adapted to beused as a living quarters,

means including a sub-floor below said interior floor forming a cyclestorage well below said floor area, said subfloor closing the bottom ofsaid well to seal the latter against entrance of dust and dirt into thewell and coach interior,

said interior floor having an access opening to said well within saidcentral floor area and removable panel means for closing said accessopening,

said floor panel means being adapted to be placed within said accessopening to close the latter and provide an interior floor surface oversaid well, and said floor panel means being removable from said accessopening to provide access to said well for placement of a cycle intravel position in the well, and said coach having a rear door openingthrough which cycles may be moved into and from the interior of thecoach. 2. A recreational vehicle according to claim 1 including:

means for supporting a cycle in an upright travel position in said well.3. A recreational vehicle according to claim 2 wherein:

said cycle supporting means comprises channel forming means in said wellproviding at least one channel for receiving cycle wheels. 4. Arecreational vehicle according to claim 3 wherein:

said channel forming means supports said floor panel means in said wellaccess opening with the upper surface of the panel means flush with theupper surface of the surrounding interior floor. 5. A recreationalvehicle according to claim 1 wherein:

said coach contains furniture at opposite sides of said well; and saidfloor panel means comprise a pair of panels hinged along their outerlongitudinal edges to the longitudinal edges of said well access openingfor swinging between closed positions in said access opening and openupright positions against the furniture at opposite sides of the well toshield the latter furniture against being soiled or damaged by thecycle. 6. A recreational vehicle according to claim 1 including:

means for supporting a number of cycles side by side in upright travelpositions in said well. 7. A recreational vehicle according to claim 6wherein:

said cycle supporting means comprise channel forming means in said wellproviding a number of channels disposed side by side in said well forreceiving the cycle wheels. 8. A recreational vehicle according to claim7 wherein:

said channel forming means support said floor panel means in said wellaccess opening with the upper surface of said panel means flush with theupper surface of the surrounding interior floor. 9. A recreationalvehicle according to claim 8 includmeans for laterally adjusting saidchannels relative to one another in said well, and retaining saidchannels in adjusted positions. 10. A recreational vehicle according toclaim 9 wherein:

said floor panel means comprise a pair of panels hinged along theirouter longitudinal edges to the longitudinal edges of said well accessopening for swinging between closed positions in said access 6 openingand open upright positions against the fureluding: niture at oppositesides of the access opening to a member removably attached to the rearof said veshield the latter furniture against being soiled or hicle foruse as a step and a ramp for moving cycles damaged by the cycles. intoand from said coach. 11. A recreational vehicle according to claim 1 in-5

1. A dual purpose recreational vehicle for use as a living quarters anda carrier for motor driven cycles and the like, comprising: a coachhaving an interior floor with an exposed area and adapted to be used asa living quarters, means including a sub-floor below said interior floorforming a cycle storage well below said floor area, said subfloorclosing the bottom of said well to seal the latter against entrance ofdust and dirt into the well and coach interior, said interior floorhaving an access opening to said well within said central floor area andremovable panel means for closing said access opening, said floor panelmeans being adapted to be placed within said access opening to close thelatter and provide an interior floor surface over said well, and saidfloor panel means being removable from said access opening to provideaccess to said well for placement of a cycle in travel position in thewell, and said coach having a rear door opening through which cycles maybe moved into and from the interior of the coach.
 2. A recreationalvehicle according to claim 1 including: means for supporting a cycle inan upright travel position in said well.
 3. A recreational vehicleaccording to claim 2 wherein: said cycle supporting means compriseschannel forming means in said well providing at least one channel forreceiving cycle wheels.
 4. A recreational vehicle according To claim 3wherein: said channel forming means supports said floor panel means insaid well access opening with the upper surface of the panel means flushwith the upper surface of the surrounding interior floor.
 5. Arecreational vehicle according to claim 1 wherein: said coach containsfurniture at opposite sides of said well; and said floor panel meanscomprise a pair of panels hinged along their outer longitudinal edges tothe longitudinal edges of said well access opening for swinging betweenclosed positions in said access opening and open upright positionsagainst the furniture at opposite sides of the well to shield the latterfurniture against being soiled or damaged by the cycle.
 6. Arecreational vehicle according to claim 1 including: means forsupporting a number of cycles side by side in upright travel positionsin said well.
 7. A recreational vehicle according to claim 6 wherein:said cycle supporting means comprise channel forming means in said wellproviding a number of channels disposed side by side in said well forreceiving the cycle wheels.
 8. A recreational vehicle according to claim7 wherein: said channel forming means support said floor panel means insaid well access opening with the upper surface of said panel meansflush with the upper surface of the surrounding interior floor.
 9. Arecreational vehicle according to claim 8 including: means for laterallyadjusting said channels relative to one another in said well, andretaining said channels in adjusted positions.
 10. A recreationalvehicle according to claim 9 wherein: said floor panel means comprise apair of panels hinged along their outer longitudinal edges to thelongitudinal edges of said well access opening for swinging betweenclosed positions in said access opening and open upright positionsagainst the furniture at opposite sides of the access opening to shieldthe latter furniture against being soiled or damaged by the cycles. 11.A recreational vehicle according to claim 1 including: a memberremovably attached to the rear of said vehicle for use as a step and aramp for moving cycles into and from said coach.